Barnsley

Barnsley's population grew in the decade leading up to the most recent census. Data from the census also show there were changes in health, relationships and housing tenure.

The population passed 230,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Barnsley increased by 6.0%, from just over 218,000 to 231,000.

The addition of about 13,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Barnsley was home to, on average, 5 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Yorkshire and The Humber

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Yorkshire and The Humber, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Barnsley

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Barnsley increased by three years, from 38 to 41 years.

This industrial area had a higher average age than Yorkshire and The Humber and remained slightly older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 6,300 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 7,000.

About 16% of people in Barnsley are aged between 40 and 49 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, Yorkshire and The Humber and Barnsley by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Health improved

Barnsley saw England's largest fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 10% to 6.0%.

In 2011, just over 1 in 12 (8.4%) in Barnsley said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 14% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 61% to 75%.

Surrey Heath saw England's next largest rise in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad (from 5.3% to 3.2%).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Barnsley decreased by 5.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Barnsley, Yorkshire and The Humber and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

More people cohabiting

Barnsley saw England's second-largest rise in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple.

During this period, Barnsley overtook 77 local authority areas, including Great Yarmouth and Colchester, to become the English local authority area with the seventh-highest percentage of cohabiting households.

In 2011, just under one in eight (12%) households in Barnsley had an unmarried couple, compared with 9.0% in 2001. The percentage of households comprising just one person increased from 28% to 30%.

England's largest increase in the proportion of households with an unmarried couple occurred in Gateshead (from 7.6% to 11%).

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Barnsley increased by 3.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Barnsley, Yorkshire and The Humber and England that had an unmarried couple, March 2001 and March 2011

More adults are separated from partners

Barnsley saw Yorkshire and The Humber's third-largest rise in the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner.

In 2011, just over one in eight (13%) people aged 16 and over in Barnsley said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner, compared with 11% in 2001. The percentage that said they were married decreased from 53% to 48%.

Across the region, only North Lincolnshire (from 11% to 13%) and Hambleton (from 8.9% to 11%) saw a greater increase in the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner.

Every local authority area across Yorkshire and The Humber saw a rise in the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a married or civil partner, as the regional average grew from 11% to 12%.

The proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that said they had divorced or broken up with a married or civil partner across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

Disability in Barnsley

The percentage of Barnsley residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 4.7% to 5.1% in the decade to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities remained close to 7.3%, while the percentage of Barnsley residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 88%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of Yorkshire and The Humber (from 3.5% in 2001 to 4.0% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across Yorkshire and The Humber

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Yorkshire and The Humber and the average across England, March 2011

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